The old Luzzu lies on a slipway beneath the sun’s strong rays
In one of Malta’s most beautiful Mediterranean bays
An elderly fisherman gasps when he sees the damage on his luzzu boat
With current rising costs, he can ill afford the to keep this Maltese treasure of a boat afloat
Tears streams down his eyes as he inspects the state of the bow and the stern
The sorry sight gives him heartburn
And his face puckers up knowing the unpredictable weather is mainly to blame
Even the colour of the sea does not look the same
His youngest son stands beside him and consoles his father
But he cries harder
Suddenly, the old man clutches his chest and drops to the ground
The son screams for help but there is no one around
Categories:
slipway, autumn, beautiful, boat, education,
Form: Free verse
STORIES IN POTTERY
Bluebirds above the azure lakes
Burleigh cups - willow pattern trees in gold leaf -
Once with mashed Sichuan oolong,
And on their side plates, shortbread tiffin,
While nephews in white laughed loudly and played tennis on the lawn.
George V Silver Jubilee mug and plate (1910-1935)
Found by slum clearance machines
In a small kitchen overlooking the slipway at Wallsend -
The mug was dropped once and chipped
On the stone floor, toasting the returned Mauretania -
The plate was never used again,
The Mauretania was never used again.
Chipped but uncracked ; dust coated, but loved.
Shapes and pictures that hold more than hot tea.
Saucers deep and smooth, or shallow and scalloped
With painted delicate petals.
With oolong long cooled,
Cups with flared bell-mouths buried
Under crumpled newspaper stuffed
In soapboxes advertising Daz flakes
Categories:
slipway, memory,
Form: Free verse
Effortless strangers along the beach,
Hoards of people, so strange to me.
Buoyed islands and mast sails that spreading distance of light,
Embers on rod trails to grey shadows night.
Clock face and churchyard a step from the shore,
Man made extrusions, a chilling curtail.
Treading the slipway the life raft is rung,
For lime wash on corners, a plea from the heart.
Rolling and spitting, wave after wave,
Jacket so heavy need light from above.
Shifting the life raft once more in the pull
Of motions and currents that dare and divine.
A flashlight, a whistle, a rocket whose flare
Bring closer together men and women who care.
Categories:
slipway, absence,
Form: Free verse
The main event
I see you lying in the shadows
Grime-covered, keel upturned
Alongside the very slipway
That offers entry to your true element
The fulfillment of your created nature.
On the horizon hundreds delight
In the shared experience
Skimming waves, negotiating difficulties
Colourful wind-filled sails
Propelling them forward
In the sheer jubilation of living.
Anne Linington©
Round the Island Race – 19th June 2010
Categories:
slipway, inspirational
Form: Free verse
Mystic Tinklings
Mystic tinklings
Ancient echoes from the past
Fleeting inklings
Glimmer just beyond your grasp
Phantom footfalls
When you know that you’re alone
Echoed choircalls
Of a long forgotten song
Shadows slipway
From the corners of your eye
Darkened hallways
Hints of time passed by
Brief reflections
Of things you did not see
Vast collections
Of the things that used to be
Categories:
slipway, angst, confusion, fantasy, history,
Form: Quatrain